There is also another sense in which seeing comes before words. It is seeing which establishes our place in the surrounding world, we explain that world with words, but words can never undo the fact that we are surrounded by it. The relationship between what we see and what we know is never settled Berger 1972
Art can be unpredictable in its nature often conveying the soul of the artist. It can reflect a projection of thought or feeling that is unique to that individual. On the other hand what it projects on to its audience is a totally different array of thought and emotion because everyone brings their own unique experience, likes and dislikes to that experience of looking at/ experiencing a piece of art.
In art school this a process of the art world which is very hard to explain to a fresh faced artist because its about knowing and understanding this concept which evolves within each individual as they explore and challenge their own artistic practice.
As Berger explains ……seeing comes before words….. However in art school I remember struggling with this. It was required of me to explain my portfolio, I remember being in crits and feeling very disconnected to my work which in its very nature was very close to me, in the sense that it was intuitively produced.
After nearly ten years of making these images they have now become sharper in my knowing and reasoning of producing them. This body of work was a coming of age conveyed in my knowledge/taste in film at the time. The films I was watching along with my peer group, and remember it was before the ubiquitous nature of the INTERNET!; Larry Clarke’s Kids, Harmony Korine’s Gummo, American Beauty and John Carpenter’s Halloween, The Exorcist and Carrie. These films underpinned this work.
If there is any thing else you would like to know about this work sorry but I can not put it into words. Take from it what you will?
The Drying Room Blog 